Japan – Return To Fascism?

The article in the
Christchurch Press regarding Japanese war crimes and, more
specifically, the photograph of Japanese troops parading on
horseback in Manchuria, reminded me of a recent discussion I
had with a respected 84-year-old Japanese physician.
Acknowledging that he was only a child at the time, this
elderly gastroenterologist told me, quite matter-of-factly,
that the current state of affairs in Japan resembles what he
believes the atmosphere must have been like in 1931 just
before the Japanese military used a minor confrontation at a
railway in Northern China as an excuse to establish a puppet
government in Manchuria. This of course was the start of
further Japanese military expansion into Asia and The
Pacific.

In itself, quite a radical statement, but for
someone that studied under candlelight to gain a medical
degree during the war, and who went on Japanese ships as a
medical officer to pick up returning POWs from Russia, Dr.
Yamamoto’s views are worth paying attention to. Moreover,
they are the views of a normal Japanese citizen who lived
through wartime Japan, not those of a politician or
diplomat.

Japan is not likely to attack China anytime
soon and that was not the inference. The point is that
Japanese politicians continue to disappoint and, with the
economy floundering for over twenty years, the public is
looking for someone to take the helm and provide some strong
leadership. And, if that means a retreat in Western-style
democracy and the suspension of Japan’s US-imposed
constitution, it appears to me that some Japanese would be
prepared to accept that. In fact, I tried asking a young,
well-educated Japanese lady working in Europe this very
question: “What do you think about democracy in
Japan?”

“We don’t need it,” was the forceful
reply. “We need someone we can follow to get us out of
this mess. And, we are sick of kowtowing to China and Korea
because of historical events.”

I do not believe Japan
will revert to an expansionist military dictatorship, but I
can see a mild version of fascism taking hold whereby the
military installs a popular figure to lead the nation under
the banner of delivering on the economic front and
protecting Japan’s international borders. One could argue
that the poor economic situation, the confused political
arena and the yearning for a strong leader are reminiscent
of Hitler’s Germany; undeniably, some comparisons would
appear justified and this is what my sage, old friend was
alluding to.

People are happy when they live in a
country with a strong economy that provides them job
security. They also expect their political leaders to work
in the country’s best interests and create a nation that
all citizens can be proud of. To some Japanese, Japan is
failing in both regards.

Of course, riding the bullet
train or walking around the buzzing streets of Tokyo it is
hard to imagine that circumstances are so dire, but the
Japanese psyche took a severe hit with the bursting of the
late 80’s early 90’s bubble and the lack of any
meaningful recovery in over twenty years has politicians
floundering and top company executives paralyzed - too
scared to take any business risks that could cost them their
retirement benefits. Some are tired of the Government’s
response to the ongoing economic crisis, which first
involved massive bank bailouts with public funds (these
funds were for the most part returned, but to the normal guy
in the street it seems like the nation’s taxes were spent
on arrogant bankers who are never around when you need them)
and then massive public works programmes. The latter fed
into the murky world of politicians and the construction
industry; needless to say, money was flying around but these
policies were largely ineffective. Japanese public debt
ballooned out of control and is only serviceable thanks to
Japan’s high savings rate.

Banks were told to
increase lending to small business, but instead lent to
large corporations with which they had cosy relationships.
In terms of loans advanced, the figures looked good, but the
money was not going to where it was needed most.

Frustration at these policies was the main reason the
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was ousted, despite being in
power for most of the post-war era. The new government was
formed by the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ). Most DPJ
politicians hailed from the LDP, nonetheless, there was a
definite mood of hope and expectation that things would
change for the better. People wanted politicians to take the
lead, wrestle power from the bureaucrats and make their
overall standard of living better. Well, the DPJ is now
bogged down in sorting out the money politics of one of its
most powerful leaders and there is widespread
disappointment: “Maybe we should go back to the other
guys?” I have heard this sentiment expressed a number of
times.

Lifetime employment, an important tenet of
Japanese society, was effectively catapulted out of
existence by the economic downturn. People were made
redundant with insignificant payouts after expecting to stay
with the same company until retirement; hopes of a
comfortable retirement allowance faded into thin air. The
number of suicides amongst middle-aged men has risen
rapidly, while government bureaucrats still enjoy job
security and healthy retirement funds. Many ex-mandarins go
on to work in companies where they can help smooth things
out with their former colleagues, often receiving another
round of retirement benefits from their new employer. This
has left people pretty fed up as the DPJ was elected to put
a stop to this kind of behaviour.

On the international
front, as Japan has been floundering, China has been
booming. Some Japanese companies are taking advantage of
this, but many are suffering as a result of production being
moved offshore. This is leading to a certain amount of
“China bashing.” On a recent visit, I watched a current
affairs programme where small business owners were very
upset at both production moving offshore to China and how,
when they did bite the bullet and go to China, the Chinese
copy their technology and set up companies in competition
almost immediately. One cool-headed, young man noted,
however: “Aren’t the Chinese just being capitalist?
Isn’t that how capitalist companies operate?”

All
these factors are festering away and Japan’s relations
with its neighbours could suffer as a result.

As one of
the so-called victor countries, it is natural that we
revisit events from World War Two, like experimental medical
Unit 731, and we often despair at the lack of political will
in Japan to address these issues. But, to put it plainly,
the Japanese public have had enough. They are sick of
apologising for historical events and have a strong desire
to regain their pride in being Japanese. The Pacific War is
an issue with historical scars on both sides, but more
relevant to Japanese people today is a belligerent North
Korea, the military build up of China and ongoing issues
with Russia and its occupation of Japanese islands in the
north.

North Korea kidnapped a number of Japanese
citizens many years ago, which is still an unresolved issue,
and the isolated state has tested missiles in the direction
of Japan. Meanwhile, a Chinese “fishing vessel” (largely
regarded as being a Chinese spy vessel) recently rammed a
Japanese Coast Guard ship off the Senkaku Islands which are
claimed by Japan. The Senkaku Islands are close to Taiwan
and China is intent on strengthening its influence in waters
close to home for a number of reasons including natural
resources and access to the Pacific for its rapidly
expanding naval fleet. A Coast Guard officer released the
video showing the Chinese ship’s actions stating that he
wanted the Japanese people to be aware of the incident. He
was reprimanded for doing so, but this, in itself, points to
a change in attitude.

In terms of defence, Japan always
defers to the US, as that country effectively protects Japan
with its nuclear shield, but I get the feeling that a
growing number of Japanese would like to see North Korea’s
nose bloodied if it dears to fire missiles toward Japan
again, and they would at least like to see Japan’s
Self-Defence Force patrolling Japanese territory in disputed
areas. That task is the responsibility of the Coast Guard,
which of course lacks the military hardware to deal with any
significant threat.

So, we see a disgruntled populace,
both in terms of their economic situation and how they are
represented internationally by ineffectual politicians.
Would they get out on the streets and protest if The Japan
Self-Defence Force renamed itself “The Army” and placed
their man in a position of overall power? I seriously doubt
they would.

And, the man to put his hand up and takeover
that mantle could easily be Governor Ishihara of Tokyo. The
taxi driver test places him in very high regard, he is a
clear speaker, has a track record in terms of bashing the
banks, and everybody knows his views on communist China. He
recently floated the idea of having young people drafted
into the Self Defence Force and Fire Brigade.

Be that
as it may, the global geo-political situation could also
play into the hands of this scenario. With nations on the
verge of bankruptcy in Europe and the US struggling, the
very efficacy of capitalism is being questioned. A new type
of fascism could fill this void with Japan emerging as the
first nation to experiment with it. One would hope this
would not lead to war, but as Dr.Yamamoto also commented:
“People have very short memories and humans seem incapable
of living together in peace for any extended period of
time.”

International Solidarity Movement On the 20th of March, during Ni’lin’s weekly Friday demonstration, Israeli occupation forces attacked protestors with about 20 rounds of tear gas canisters shot with the ‘venom’ tear gas launcher mounted on a military jeep ... More>>

Yemen stands on the brink of civil war amid deepening political tensions and an uptick in sectarian violence, United Nations Special Adviser Jamal Benomar warned today as he explained that only through dialogue could the country achieve a peaceful political transition. More>>

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is dispatching emergency life-saving supplies to communities in Tuvalu as part of its efforts to assist communities in the Pacific region that were affected by Tropical Cyclone Pam, with nutrition and hygiene kits arriving today. More>>